More ACTION! Hurahhhh! Oh yeah, and more Leeah, Ruby, and Raleigh. XD I want votes on who would might be good with each Ronin. XD Honesty please! XD

Chapter Nineteen

Hoshi had been drifting in out of her state for a few days. Cye said Raleigh wasn't at fault but Rowen thought he wasn't so sure. No one really knew what to do, Mia had called a doctor friend of hers, but her friend said that Hoshi was only catatonic. Something was plaguing her, or someone he thought silently. Sage was able to help calm her tremors but sometimes she would writhe in pain, or wake full of energy. It didn't seem like Sage could help with much else other than the tremors. The guys made sure he would eat and take a shower, and take their turns watching after her. However, she would only wake he was around.

He was sitting next to her when he heard Hoshi's phone buzz in her purse and he scrounged through it to pick it up. There were a lot of messages on her phone, and he realized they were all from Leea. He didn't know if he should call her, he didn't want to get her involved in this, but her best friend deserved to be there. There was nether forces at work, he was sure of it, but he couldn't involve anymore innocents. He put the phone down and closed his eyes, which hurt badly as well. He did this too her, just like Runa, she was suffering because of the nether realm and he couldn't stop it.

"Rowen," Sage said softly as he came in, he had a solemn look on his face. It comforted Rowen to know that at least they were getting along before she had collapsed. "We're going out to look for Raleigh, Mia thinks she might be in the nearby forest."

Rowen stood up, they had gone several times without him, but he was of no use to Hoshi here. He almost felt as though Sage was more useful to her right now, "I'll go."

Sage nodded briefly, "look, Cye really believes this isn't Raleigh's doing."

"Then who is it," Rowen asked angrily. "Other than the spirits, that wolf has caused her enough problems."

Sage nodded in solemn agreement, "do you see what I meant though? I never meant to upset your relationship. I just didn't want to see you like..."

"Like this.." Rowen finished. He looked down at Hoshi, who was peacefully asleep. He touched the scarred side of her face gently with his fingers, "I was hoping that it could be different..."

Sage nodded, his blonde hair briefly showed his other eyes, "if you go, you can't let your concern take you. We need Raleigh alive."

Rowen nodded, and Sage laid a hand on his shoulder, "you have to promise me."

"I will," Rowen said softly. He headed down the stairs with his friend, they were preparing to leave when Mia answered the door.

"I KNOW HE'S HERE, MIA!"

He recognized Leea's voice as she barged in. She was a hot tempered sort of woman, especially when it came to Hoshi. She charged into the living room, and she socked Sage with a single throw and he fell to the ground hard. Ruby was with her as well, but seemed to standing back as moral support.

"where is she," Leea growled as Kento and Ryo pulled her off of Sage, "she hasn't been home in days! She never does that!"

Ruby calmly said as she looked around, "Leea, calm down! Mia said that she wasn't here..."

"I'm not looking for Hoshi, I'm looking for the bastard whose dating her and his best friend," She thrashed but she quickly realized the boys were too strong for.

Mia came in, "look...she is here but she's not well..."

Leea thrashed again and cursed at Sage, "bastard!"

Sage was holding his cheek as he got up with Rowen's help who said, "she's up stairs, Leea. Maybe she'll respond to you if you go to her."

"Respond," Ruby asked looking at Mia. "she was fine when I saw her last!"

Leea elbowed Kento in the gut and kicked Ryo in the shin. She broke free, and ran up the stairs. Ruby ran after her. Mia said, "I'll explain as best I can to them, just go find that wolf."

The boys left out the back and ran into the forest. They changed into their sub armor as they went through the woods. Cye said softly to Rowen, "Maybe Leea and Ruby will have some affect on her?"

Rowen mumbled slightly optimistically, "yeah."

Kento complained as they ran along, "damn, I think she broke a rib!"

"Hahaha," Ryo snorted, but he wasn't walking to well on his busted leg. "Geez, are women naturally made of armor?"

Sage shook his head, his jaw ached, "that girl has quite a punch!"

Rowen wanted to laugh but only said, "Leea is something else."

They spent a better part of the afternoon searching for Raleigh. Rowen could tell the guys were trying to cheer him up with jests and shots, and he tried to play along but his mind was on Hoshi. Their last date was at Tokyo Tower, she had been so excited. She loved seeing the city glitter in the night. They escaped into the mountains near Mia's home later that evening to watch the stars without the threat of light pollution. He brought a telescope for her, and he told her she was the brightest star he had ever seen. She had kicked him softly for being cheesy, but they fell to the grass together and made love. It was perfect. The curve of her body perfect fit for his.

Kento moved close to him, and leered, "so is she hot in bed?"

Rowen frowned and replied, "you have no manners, Kento."

"What, I mean come on, she must be something if you're this obsessed, you haven't heard a single thing I've said except that," he smiled and clamped an arm around him. "Look we'll find this Raleigh, and figure this out, can't let my new little sister get hurt by the nether realm."

Kento and Hoshi had surprisingly got along right away when they first met. She told Rowen it was because he acted so much like Leea, that as low brow as he was, she found him to be just a really good big brother figure.

Then he noticed the guys were looking at him again. He didn't want to be such a big deal over how he was feeling, but then he realized they were hurting as well. It was like Runa all over again, and he felt his stomach grow tight.

You've been looking for me, ronins.

They looked up to a tree to see the woman warrior starring down at them. Ryo and Kento gasped because they had never seen her before, she was almost identical to Suzunagi. Ryo looked at Rowen, "you weren't kidding, Ro."

You mean Suzunagi, she said as she sat down on the branch, I think it's just coincidence really. I didn't like her, she tried to slay me when I was possessed. I still think I would give her a few bites for that.

"There's a lot of that going around," Sage said to her. "Like how coincidentally Hoshi became ill after you showed up?"

That is not my doing, Raleigh said with a shrug.

Ryo growled, "can you just let her go and we'll leave you alone."

She jumped down and starred at Rowen, what if I said it was you all who were harming her?

"Us," Cye asked first.

Oh, yes, she sensitive, I should have noticed it earlier, much, much, earlier, Raleigh replied as she knelt on one and placed the sword in front of her. My life is hers to do with as she sees fit, I have made that clear to Torrent. I suppose he told you that much. Why would I harm my Shogun?

"Shogun," Ryo asked and Rowen shrugged.

Of course she has no armor, but she is more powerful than I originally realized. I've been...watching her with those shadows for a while now, she paused, she notices what no one else does. Perhaps when I saved her life as a child, a touched her with a bit of the Nether Realm but I feel that's what's making her sick. The nether realm is in chaos, but lucky for you the Warlords are keeping it at bay but your armors sense it. My armor senses it and it tingles for battle much like yours do. That connection is poisoning her pure human soul.

They grew silent with her words.

I think I knew that you sensed it coming when Suzunagi gave you your new armors, she paused to stand up. She craned her head to the side just a little as they starred at her.

"Why is she being poisoned," asked Rowen quickly.

Like I said, she's 'sensitive', Raleigh paused and looked down away from them. She's an oracle, how could I be such a fool. Of course I wanted to protect, even to Talpa she would have been priceless!

Sage crossed his arms, "don't mention his name with hers."

I apologize, I am being insensitive but she would be precious even to Talpa's daughter. Perhaps even bring forth her power.

"Forsaken Power," replied Cye as he remember the rest of the poem. "...Will be brought out but wise and scarred hands."

Raleigh held up hers, not mine.

Ryo finally decided to ask, "why do you have a virtue, if you're from the nether realm?"

Why? Because...I was naive when I was young, much like you, and the Old Ones blessed and cursed my armor with it. I had Hope that there would be a better future for us. Alas, my clan is gone. I have no true shogun, I am a failure, and I must bare that burden because I have to Hope.

She vanished instantly leaving her sword.

Sage picked it up, "Wait! Dammit. So we're harming her? Why did it take this long?"

Rowen just remained silent, and decided he need to be alone again. He jumped into the trees, he heard the guys call after him, but he went deep into the forest before they could go after him. He found a tree that was very tall, and sat on the very top branch.

Raleigh appeared in front him, you're her lover.

"What's it to you?"

She craned her neck again and looked at him better, you don't deserve this anymore than she does, but...

"But," he repeated.

She would have died sooner without you, your armor is protecting her. You don't feel like yourself either? Only better when she is awake? The armors know when one's soul mate has been found, and despite their cruelty, it will protect her as long as it can. So stay alive, and she will too...for now.

She left in flash of air, and he looked around. He felt angry, and motivated at the same time, but he didn't know where to begin.